Casey setting the bar for next season: Playoffs

Dwane Casey is not waiting for media day next fall to set out the goal for the 2012-13 Toronto Raptors. The head coach knows exactly what he wants from next year’s club.

“Being young is going to be out the window. It’s going to be about getting to the playoffs,” Casey said after the Raptors completed their last practice of the year on Wednesday. “I’m not saying we’re automatically going to make it. But that’s going to be our goal, not just development. We’re going to the next step. It’s past the building stage. It’s about winning next year.”

The last time the Raptors made the playoffs was 2008, which brought a five-game loss to Orlando in the first round. It was stated near the beginning of this year that the playoffs were a longshot. They head into Thursday’s finale against New Jersey at 22-43.

However, with 2011 fifth pick Jonas Valanciunas, a lottery pick from this year’s draft (or an asset acquired by trading it) and room under the salary cap to spend on free agents, next team has some promise.

Just read the excerpt Matt pulled. You don't even have to infer anything, it's an express statement. It's also in bolded letters.

"It's past the building stage".

You're welcome.

Just so you know saying ur done building deosnt mean we have a finish product and saying u dont see the builduing this year its plain stupid.( by the way I think the raptors DIDN'T want to make the playoff this and not that they couldn't)

Just read the excerpt Matt pulled. You don't even have to infer anything, it's an express statement. It's also in bolded letters.

"It's past the building stage".

You're welcome.

"Past the building stage" doesn't mean "building is over". Do you think Casey feels this team can win next year as is just by telling the guys "ok, now our focus is winning so win"?

The more I think about his statements the more I think he's only talking about the establishment of the system. He's been building that all season and maybe he feels the foundation is in place and next year he's going with guys who produce as opposed to calling a guy's number just to get him minutes and to see what he can do.

It's all semantics! Of course they are going to continue to grow and build, but the days of collecting lottery players, and spinning our tires are done in Casey's mind. He has built a foundation this year to prepare the team for being a competitive team next year.

I like all the talk going on...Colangelo "we are going to hit the ground running.", and Casey "The goal is playoffs." It's always a goal, but I think he actually believes he will have the talent to maker it happen. I hope it's just not all hot air. I can't wait for this off-season it should be interesting!

If we're going strictly by Casey's quote, then he did imply that building is over. You can't go past a "stage" while continuing to stay within it.

But from a general view of the state of the franchise, it's clear that Casey's not done building. The guys still have a lot to learn about winning consistently.

So after you finish renovating your house you can't build a back deck the follow year or slap a new coat of paint on the downstairs bathroom or go out and purchase/install a new hot water tank or... You get the picture. I think it comes down to focus. Casey is no longer focused on building, he's focused on winning but that does not mean he has tunnel vision and is incapable or unwilling to improve his team in any way needed to facilitate the next stage, which is winning. Any sustained success story out there has continuous improvement/modifications to the vehicle that brought them success. Even a team like the Spurs are still building in some way or another to facilitate the sustained success.

With Val, first & second round picks from this years draft our over all talent will be higher, but I'm not expecting a vaulable contribution right away. I'm really excited about whom they are targeting in free agency as that player(s) should contribute directly to win/loss column. I hope it gets better than Sasha Vujacic though I hear that was a false rumor.

So after you finish renovating your house you can't build a back deck the follow year or slap a new coat of paint on the downstairs bathroom or go out and purchase/install a new hot water tank or... You get the picture. I think it comes down to focus. Casey is no longer focused on building, he's focused on winning but that does not mean he has tunnel vision and is incapable or unwilling to improve his team in any way needed to facilitate the next stage, which is winning.

Regarding Casey, I agree with you 100%.

But based on semantics, if someone asked you if your house is finished "building", I'm sure you wouldn't answer 'no' because the powder room needs a fresh colour. That would be an upgrade/modification instead (at least IMO). But building is complete.

Glad he said that lets goo! I'm sure DeMar will be fired up next season and go 100% to try and help us make the playoffs. He seems like he really wants to get there and show everyone that he can razz with the best of em

So after you finish renovating your house you can't build a back deck the follow year or slap a new coat of paint on the downstairs bathroom or go out and purchase/install a new hot water tank or... You get the picture. I think it comes down to focus. Casey is no longer focused on building, he's focused on winning but that does not mean he has tunnel vision and is incapable or unwilling to improve his team in any way needed to facilitate the next stage, which is winning. Any sustained success story out there has continuous improvement/modifications to the vehicle that brought them success. Even a team like the Spurs are still building in some way or another to facilitate the sustained success.

The analogy doesn't work. The Raptors aren't renovating their house. They don't have a house. In fact, the Raptors don't have any part of a house. The current state of the organization is the huge hole in the ground you dig before you lay the foundation. Not only don't they have a house, they haven't even started laying the foundation yet. There is one marginal NBA starter on this roster (Bargs). We don't know who the 2012 pick is and JV hasn't played a game. Should the focus of this team really be shifting to the playoffs at this stage? Isn't this wildly premature? Isn't this exactly what happened in 2006? Why the rush to repeat a process that's a proven failure?

Casey might be speaking from a future perspective. He may have an idea of what types of players or transactions are on the horizon. I fully expect come training camp the roster to be much different than it is today.

The role players are in place (ED, AMIR, DD, JJ, LK, JC, maybe Aaron Gray)
The fringe players don't matter (Uzoh, Alabi, Anderson, Forbes, Magloire)
2 pillars are in place (AB and JV).

What gets added this summer through draft, free agency, or trade is to be determined.

Regardless of what pieces are added, there has been a shift in philosophy and expectation in the franchise. Is the house finished? Not yet but the most important part of the house is definitely done: the foundation.

Not yet but the most important part of the house is definitely done: the foundation.

Tim Duncan is a foundation. Lebron James, Durant, Kobe, Nash, Rose, Griffin, Nowitzki, Pierce. Those guys are foundations. Pairs like Gasol/Randolph, Jefferson/Milsap - those are foundations. Groups like Afflalo/Lawson/Gallo can be foundations.

The Raptors do not have a foundation. Building your basketball team on top of Bargnani is like building your house with a base of paper mache. Now, if JV and the 2012 pick turn out to be stars, then you've got a foundation. But that is far from a certainty.

Tim Duncan is a foundation. Lebron James, Durant, Kobe, Nash, Rose, Griffin, Nowitzki, Pierce. Those guys are foundations. Pairs like Gasol/Randolph, Jefferson/Milsap - those are foundations. Groups like Afflalo/Lawson/Gallo can be foundations.

The Raptors do not have a foundation. Building your basketball team on top of Bargnani is like building your house with a base of paper mache. Now, if JV and the 2012 pick turn out to be stars, then you've got a foundation. But that is far from a certainty.

That is your opinion.

Your opinion appears to be that the foundation is a player.

My opinion is the foundation is the philosophy of the team (players, coaches, management) and everyone must be on the same page. This year has been very successful in changing the minds of what people who matter (i.e. other NBA coaches and players) think of when they hear Toronto Raptors. Toronto is no longer a joke and if you don't bring your game, they are going to beat you.

Successful teams (i.e. championship and deep playoff runs) are built on more than talented players. They are important, very important, but they are not the only important ingredient in the recipe.

The analogy doesn't work. The Raptors aren't renovating their house. They don't have a house. In fact, the Raptors don't have any part of a house. The current state of the organization is the huge hole in the ground you dig before you lay the foundation. Not only don't they have a house, they haven't even started laying the foundation yet. There is one marginal NBA starter on this roster (Bargs). We don't know who the 2012 pick is and JV hasn't played a game. Should the focus of this team really be shifting to the playoffs at this stage? Isn't this wildly premature? Isn't this exactly what happened in 2006? Why the rush to repeat a process that's a proven failure?

The only way they have no house is if they have no players. There are lots of guys on roster.

The only way they have no house is if they have no players. There are lots of guys on roster.

Not liking something doesn't negate it's existstince.

Maybe not all the guys are IN the house, in the sense of being on the same page, or buying into Casey's system. In fact some of the players on the Raptors could actually be forming an outhouse. A number of them played like that.

Casey might be speaking from a future perspective. He may have an idea of what types of players or transactions are on the horizon. I fully expect come training camp the roster to be much different than it is today.

The role players are in place (ED, AMIR, DD, JJ, LK, JC, maybe Aaron Gray)
The fringe players don't matter (Uzoh, Alabi, Anderson, Forbes, Magloire)
2 pillars are in place (AB and JV).

What gets added this summer through draft, free agency, or trade is to be determined.

Regardless of what pieces are added, there has been a shift in philosophy and expectation in the franchise. Is the house finished? Not yet but the most important part of the house is definitely done: the foundation.

Hey hey i think Demar and Ed should be included in this foundation of yours. Ed may not start but he will definitely be a key piece off the bench.